Man vs Machine: Warehouse Traffic Safety

Did you know that each year 1 in 10 forklifts will be involved in an accident? OSHA estimates that 35,000 serious injuries and 62,000 non-serious injuries involving forklifts occur annually. Forklift collisions account for about 46% of total forklift accidents including crush injuries where personnel are trapped between two forklifts, between a forklift and stationary surface, or where pedestrians are struck by a forklift. Of the approximate 85 forklift-related deaths every year, more than one-third of those deaths each year attributed to forklifts are pedestrians. Those are pretty sobering statistics and prove that in the battle of man vs machine, the machine has a good chance of winning.

Forklifts and Pedestrians Do Not Mix!

One simple way to reduce forklift accidents is to keep forklifts (as well as other heavy equipment) away from your employees and visitors. Here are some warehouse traffic safety measures you can implement to prevent these types of collisions.

Visual Markings

Floor Marking Tape or Paint

Footprint Floor Markers

Arrow-Shaped Floor Markers

Signs And Labels

Physical Barriers

Guard rails – to divide vehicle traffic lanes from pedestrian lanes.

Traffic cones

Bollards

Pillars

Flags

Other Safety Measures

Wide view mirrors placed strategically to enhance visibility for both forklift drivers and pedestrians at intersections where oncoming traffic is hidden from view.

Motion detection alarm systems use flashing lights and audible sirens to alert both forklift drivers and pedestrians of oncoming traffic

Safety gates which require the pedestrian to push a button in order to open the crossing gate and equipped with a a motion detection monitor that will only open the gate if conditions are safe.